Membrane staining dyes for biological cells are important reagents for cell surface demarcation and for investigation of different cellular processes. The staining pattern of individual cells can mark cellular and thus illustrate functions such as endocytosis and exocytosis. In multicellular organisms, membrane dyes are useful for tracking cell migration, transplantation, adhesion, and fusion. Such tracking can be very useful in studying, for example, cell developmental biology of the organisms, leading to new diagnostics and therapeutic means. Accordingly, such dyes can be useful tools in carrying out such studies. Compared with other organelle-specific stains, membrane dyes are relatively rare because most compounds, for example, either undergo internalization efficiently or are membrane-impermeable, rendering them unsuitable or deficient in serving as biological cell membrane dyes.
The present invention is concerned with improved membrane staining dyes and methods of making thereof, or at least to provide useful alternatives to the public.